The cactus with its arms reaching to the sky seems an all-too-human parody of the wild west. A time where historic backgrounds, religious beliefs, and the diversities of Spanish, Native American and Anglo cultures were blended.

Carnegiea Gigantea - The Saguaro cactus has been aptly named the monarch of the desert. It can grow to be the tallest cactus in the world. Some have been measured to tower as high as 16.5 metres tall and be 200 years old.

For woodpeckers the Saguaro is a prime nesting site. So too for tiny Elf Owls, a protected species indigenous to Arizona, who hollow out chambers in the Saguaro and make it their home. During the month of May it blooms spectacular waxy white flowers that open towards evening and stay open for most of the following day, then close, never to reopen. Living but a single day, they are a precious reminder of this beautiful fragile environment.

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